أَسرَفتَ في أنسِ الغَريبِ وَبِرِّهِ

وَرَفَعتَ مِن قَدرِ البَعيدِ بِذِكرِهِ

You were generous to the stranger and kind to him

And you raised the worth of the distant one by mentioning him

وَبَعَثتَ في ريحِ الشَّمالِ تَحِيَّةً

عادَت إِلَيكَ بِعَبقَةٍ مِن شُكرِهِ

And you sent in the north wind a greeting

That returned to you with the fragrance of his gratitude

لا تَعجَبَنَّ لِحَرِّها مِن بَعدِ ما

بَرَدَت فَقَد مَرَّت بِلَوعَةِ صَدرِهِ

Do not wonder at its heat after

It cooled, for it has passed through the agony of his chest

وَسَأَلتُ عَنهُ وَما يَذُمّ زَمانُهُ

لَو كانَ يُعرَفُ لَيلُهُ مِن فَجرِهِ

And I asked about him, and nothing dispraises his time

If his night were known from his dawn

مُتَقَسِّمُ العَزَماتِ يُنفِقُ عُمرَهُ

سَرَفاً عَلى نَهي الزَّمانِ وَأَمرِهِ

The dispenser of resolves spends his life

Extravagantly, defying the blame and command of fate

غَدَرَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ في عِفَّةٍ

مِن مالِهِ وَصيانَةٍ مِن شِعرِهِ

His days betrayed him in chastity

Of his wealth and safeguarding his honor

فَإِذا أَرادَ مَديحَ مِثلِكَ أَظلَمَت

سُدفُ الهُموم عَلى مَطالِعِ فِكرِهِ

So when he wanted to praise the like of you, the clouds

Of worries darkened the horizons of his thoughts